Wire fence tool



Oct. 4, 1955 L WEBB ET AL 2,719,298

WIRE FENCE TOOL.

Filed Feb. 9, 1953 IN V EN TOR5. L arr'y E. Webb (f0 hf] M IVQO/ BYWWWUnited States Patent "cc WIRE FENCE TOOL Larry E. Webb .andJohn Neal,Vallejo, Calif.

Application February-'9, 19-53, Serial No. 335,718 :4 Claims. .(ol. 1 50This invention relates to wire fence tools and more particularly toa.staple-deforming tool adapted to be used to secure strands of wire tofence posts.

The essential object of the invention is the provision .of a novel formof tool which may be very efliciently used in conjunction with a novelform .of staple to deform the staple into wire securing relation :to afence post, and the like.

Other objects and advantages :of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in .conjunction with the drawings formingpart of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the tool of the invention inoperative relation to a section of wire fence;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the tool;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view taken along lines 33 of Figure 2 andshowing a fence wire in dotted outline;

Figure 4 is a frontal view in perspective of the working end of thetool, showing in dotted outline a staple prior to its deformation;

Figure 5 is a view in elevation of the staple holding die of the tool;

Figure 6 is a view in elevation of the staple deforming die of the tool;and

Figure 7 is a view in elevation of the staple used with the tool.

Referring to the drawings, the staple-deforming tool of the inventioncomprises a handle member 10 having integral therewith a jaw 12 and ahandle 14 having integral therewith a jaw 16. The handles 10 and 14 arepivotally connected together at 18. The jaws 12 and 16 are provided withslots 20 and 22 which are angularly disposed in the interjacent faces ofthe jaws for a purpose hereinafter described. Removably disposed withinthe slots 20 and 22 and secured therein, as by set screws 24 and 26 arejaw blocks 28 and 30 which are preferably composed of high strengthhardened steel. The jaw blocks 28 and 30 are provided with slots 32 and34 adapted, when the blocks are in place, to form overlapping jointsbetween the blocks and the jaws.

Block 28 is provided with a U-shaped recess 36 and a relatively shallowrecess 37 which is semi-cylindrical in cross section and disposedtransversely to recess 36, while block 30 is provided with oppositelydisposed substantially L-shaped grooves 38 and 40, said grooves beingsmoothly arcuate in cross section and being provided with parallelspaced ends 42 and aligned and oppositely directed ends 44. The grooves38 and 40 are progressively deeper from ends 42 to ends 44. The includedangle between ends 42 and end 44 of groove 38 is slightly less than 90,while the included angle between the two ends of groove 40 is slightlygreater than 90 As shown in Figure 7, the staples 48 adapted for usewith the tool are U-shaped and provided with flat end surfaces 50. Thestaples are formed from straight lengths of heavy gauge metal wire. v

In Figure 1, there is shown a section of wire fence for 2,719,298Patented Oct. 4, 1955 T2 the assembly of which the tool of the inventionis especially adapted. The fence comprises vertically disposed angleiron posts 52,each of which is provided with a vertically spaced seriesof elongated apertures, and a plurality of horizontally disposedstrandsof wire 56.

In assembling the fence, a staple 48 is inserted within recess 36 ofblock 28, or holding die, and the staple, held by this holding die ofthe open jawed tool, is extended, in embracing relation to a wire 56,through a fence post aperture. The wire is received within the groove 37of holding die 28. As the handles 10 and 14 are moved toward each otherto engage the block 30, or forming die, with the ends 50 of the staple,the ends of the staple engage the shallow ends 42 of grooves 38 and 40.As manual pressure is applied to force the handles toward each other,the ends 50 of the staple follow the contour of grooves 38 and 40, thuseffecting a deforming of the staple so that the legs thereof areoppositely directed to tightly secure the wire to the post.

The angular disposition of the die members 28 and 30 with respect to thejaws 12 and 16 enables the jaws and tool handles to be angularlydisposed downwardly beneath the path of the wire during operation of thetool. For this purpose, the jaw 12 is further provided with a Wireclearance groove 5-8.

The tool is provided with simple means for removing the staples from thefence in the event that such removal is desired. Thus, a straight slotis formed in the end of handle 10. By placing this slot over one of theoutwardly diverged leg portions of the staple and rotating the tool totwist this leg portion through approximately the staple may be readilyremoved from its clinched position with respect to the post.

For best operation of the tool, the legs of the staple should besubstantially parallel to each other. If a particular staple should havethe leg portions thereof disposed out of parallel prior to use, thestaple legs may be moved toward each other into parallel relation byinserting the ends of the legs within recesses 62 formed in the handlesand by then moving the handles together to a closed position.

The tool is additionally provided with conventional auxiliary elements,such as the hammer head 64, prying point 66, and wire cutter notches 68.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A staple-deforming tool adapted to deform the leg portions of aU-shaped staple to an outwardly divergent and substantially oppositelydisposed position comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members,holding die means complementary to the closed end of the staple carriedby one of said jaw members, said means being adapted to hold andposition a staple, forming die means comprising a pair of smoothlycurved substantially L- shaped grooves carried by the other of said jawmembers operable upon movement of said members toward each other toconstrain the ends of the leg portions of a staple to move away fromeach other along arcuately smoothened substantially right angled paths,and handle means for said members.

2. A staple-deforming tool adapted to deform the leg portions of aU-shaped staple to an outwardly divergent and substantially oppositelydisposed position comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members,a block carried by each of the interjacent faces of said members, aU-shaped staple holding recess formed in the interjacent face of one ofsaid blocks and inwardly directed therefrom, a pair of smoothly curvedsubstantially L-shaped grooves formed in the interjacent face of theother of said blocks, said grooves having parallel portions disposedsubstantially in the direction of the pivotal connection between saidjaw members, said portions being spaced apart a distance correspondingto the distance between the leg portions of said staple, with saidgroove portions merging with portions oppositely disposed and outwardlydirected from each other, and handle means for said members.

3. A staple-deforming tool adapted to deform the leg portions of aU-shaped staple to an outwardly divergent and substantially oppositelydisposed position comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members,a block carried by each of the interjacent faces of said members, saidblocks being disposed parallel to each other but extending obliquelyacross the interjacent faces of said jaw members, a U-shaped stapleholding recess formed in the interjacent face of one of said blocks, apair of smoothly curved substantially L-shaped grooves formed in theinterjacent face of the other of said blocks, said grooves havingparallel portions disposed substantially in the direction of the pivotalconnection between said jaw members, said portions being spaced apart adistance corresponding to the distance betwen the leg portions of saidstaple, with said groove portions merging with portions oppositelydisposed and outwardly directed from each other, and handle means forsaid members.

4. A staple-deforming tool adapted to deform the leg portions of aU-shaped staple to an outwardly divergent and substantially oppositelydisposed position comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members,a block carried by each of the interjacent faces of said members, saidblocks being disposed parallel to each other but extending obliquelyacross the interjacent faces of said jaw members,

a U-shaped staple holding recess formed in the interjacent face of oneof said blocks, a pair of smoothly curved substantially L-shaped groovesformed in the interjacent face of the other of said blocks, said grooveshaving parallel portions disposed substantially in the direction of thepivotal connection between said jaw members, said portions being spacedapart a distance corresponding to the distance between the leg portionsof said staple, with said groove portions merging with portionsoppositely disposed and outwardly directed from each other, said jawmember carrying the holding recess block having a lateral face havingformed therein a groove adapted to accommodate a wire extending throughthe staple when the staple is positioned for deforming in said tool,said groove being disposed in that face of the jaw member which formswith the holding recess block an angle greater than References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 493,758 Davidson Mar, 21,1893 1,265,842 Walker May 14, 1918 1,296,960 Hutchison Mar. 11, 19191,444,290 Westby Feb. 6, 1923 1,479,512 Perkins Jan. 1, 1924 2,046,359Babcock July 7, 1936 2,111,404 Pankonin Mar. 15, 1938 2,191,869 StoneFeb. 27, 1940

